How did the latest round of violence start?

Palestinian attacks on Israelis and Israeli military operations began escalating after Israeli security forces raided Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sept. 13, just before the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. They confiscated pipe bombs, firecrackers and stones they said were to be used by Palestinians against Jews planning to pray at the Western Wall, which abuts Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

What kind of violence is it?

On Oct. 1, Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama, and two Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, were shot dead in front of their four children by unknown gunmen as they drove through the territory. Most of the Palestinian assaults, however, have been carried out not with guns but with knives, stones, cars or even screwdrivers. Palestinians protesting what they view as threats to Temple Mount have been confronted by Israeli security forces. Most of the Palestinian dead have died from gunshot wounds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday the attacks were “mostly unorganized.” Also, most of the attackers appear to have no political affiliation, and the assaults seem be random. This doesn’t allay Israeli worries: The first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, erupted in 1987 in much the same way. Also, as the Palestinian attacks mount, officials fear more attempts will be made by Palestinian militant factions to orchestrate the violence.

What is Temple Mount?

The hilltop plaza is the most sensitive religious site in Jerusalem. It is sacred to Jews as the former site of two biblical temples. It is sacred to Muslims as the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the place from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven. It is revered by Christians too, for Jesus is said to have visited the temple that once stood there.

What are the causes of the latest violence?

The immediate cause of the latest violence is the fear of Muslim Palestinians that more visits by Jewish groups to Temple Mount and the loosening of the official Israeli government ban on Jews praying there will erode Muslim religious control of the shrine, the third-holiest in Islam. Mr. Netanyahu has accused Palestinian and Arab Israeli leaders of deliberately distorting Israel government policy and inciting the violence. The unfolding violence is also occurring against the backdrop of widespread Palestinian dissatisfaction with their own leaders, their despair over peace talks with the Israelis, which broke down a year ago, and tumult in the wider region.

What has been the response of Israeli and Palestinian leaders?

Mr. Netanyahu’s security cabinet has put in place harsher penalties for stone-throwing, along with rules giving police greater latitude to open fire when they or members of the public are in danger. The prime minister has also increased security around Jerusalem, while the city’s mayor has urged all those licensed to carry guns to do so.

Palestinian leaders are publicly divided. The Islamic movement Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and on Friday, its leader there, Ismail Haniyeh, described the unrest as a new intifada and urged Palestinians to challenge Israel.

From his governing seat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has urged calm and warned against “an intifada which we don’t want.” He also has been critical of the Israeli government for its response to the Temple Mount dispute.